Paper Crowns
by Padfoot3456
Summary: Namie leaves Izaya's employment, taking some of his and Shizuo's DNA with her. Hello, clones! Hibiya/Delic, Shizaya, and other pairings as the story goes on. Rated for later chapters.
1. Night one

Izaya's eyes narrowed as he read over the form Namie had handed to him not five minutes ago before fleeing with her purse. Her resignation, effective immediately. Now why would she go and do that? It wasn't like he hadn't been keeping tabs on her. As far as he knew, no other job offer had come up for her that was better than what he was offering.

Whatever. He put the form down and flicked the edge of the paper so it went flying off his desk and floated to the ground. He'd keep an eye on her, but she had the right to do whatever she pleased. He wasn't her keeper. All the same…

Izaya got up from his chair and moved over to his game board. He slid a Shogi piece around and moved a chess pawn to go with it. After looking over the board for a moment more, Izaya sat back down at his desk and turned to his computer, an indifferent look on his face. Hopefully something interesting was going on online. He needed something to occupy him.

Izaya slammed his fist down on the desk in anger. Let it be known that Izaya was very rarely ever truly angry. But this time… Namie had gone too far. Much too far. He knew what she'd done now. He began to pace his office, muttering under his breath every once in a while.

Namie had been offered a lot of money. Millions of yen. Possibly billions. The amount hardly mattered, though. Whatever it was, it had gotten her to resign from him, but not before taking some of his DNA. And apparently, she'd taken some of Shizuo's DNA as well. How she'd gotten it, Izaya had no idea. The point of the matter is, she'd gone into human experimentation.

This included cloning.

And Izaya had gotten wind that there were now clones of himself and Shizuo running amok. Apparently the company Namie now worked for had heard of both himself and Shizu-chan and wanted to make the best of each of them, probably to work for some government or what have you. Since Shizuo was so strong and Izaya so smart, it was no wonder that this had happened.

Izaya just wished he'd seen this coming.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It didn't matter how he acted now- it wasn't like anyone could see him. He was alone. He needed to come up with a plan. He couldn't just have little mini-mes running around. That would be the end of him. Who knew what kind of trouble they would stir up?

The only viable plan of action that would be effective would be to tell someone. He couldn't just go in by himself- he'd get shot. Or escorted out. And hiring someone was more hassle than it was worth at this point. But who to tell? Who would take him seriously? Because let's face it, he did have a habit of crying wolf every once in a while.

Izaya turned to his windows, watching the city below him.

With a sigh, he pulled out his phone. No matter how much he didn't want to, it had to be done. He pressed his number one speed dial, thankful no one knew it was his number one.

"What do you want, flea? How do you even have this number?"

"Aww, Shizu-chan, is that really how you should react when someone calls up needing your help?" Izaya grinned despite himself.

"You… Need my help?" Shizuo began to laugh. "That's rich!"

"It's the truth." Izaya became serious. He filled Shizuo in on what was going on, hearing the tension escalate on the other line.

"Fine. Exactly where is this place?"

And things were set in to motion.

Eventually, Izaya hung up his phone, sliding it back into a jacket pocket and leaving his fingers curled around it. He watched the cars pass on the street below.

"It's been three months since her betrayal of me. I wonder how Shizu-chan is going to handle this." Izaya chuckled to himself, though he really didn't find his situation funny, and leaned his forehead against the glass.

This promised to be a blast, if nothing else.

Shizuo stood looking in to the room of beds. He'd gotten there a little late. All of the other clones had been moved already, but in their haste, they'd left this one. Apparently the company had gotten wind that Shizuo was coming.

The sound of footsteps coming towards him from down the hallway. Shizuo turned, lighting a cigarette simultaneously. It was only Celty. She'd been his ride here at her own insistence after what she'd learned he was going to do. He nodded to her in greeting and turned back to the clone, asleep on a bed in the center of the room. The other beds were all empty, their sheets rumpled and wrinkled. But not this one, because it's occupant was still there.

He looked exactly like Izaya. Shizuo would go so far as to say that he was a spitting image of the devious man. Except for one tiny little detail.

The clone was a child.

It's age couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen. Maybe even younger than that. It's sleeping face was soft, untroubled. Shizuo could only imagine what had gone on here. And he thought Izaya said it had only been three months, probably shorter than that, since they were able to make a successful clone. So why did this one look as old as it did?

That made his head hurt, as his thoughts just kept going around and around, and he couldn't find a solution. Why would someone want to clone him or Izaya anyways? He wasn't all that great. And neither was the flea. Actually, Izaya was probably way worse.

A phone was suddenly thrust in his face.

_Do you think we should wake him up?_ Shizuo looked to Celty and then to the kid.

"Might as well. He's going to wake up sooner or later anyways." Shizuo shrugged and walked over to the bed. Tapping the boy on the shoulder, he said "Hey. Hey, kid, come on. Wake up."

The child's eyes opened slowly, focusing on the ceiling before darting to Shizuo. His irises were a soft pastel yellow. He sat up slowly, swinging his feet out of bed. He was wearing an oversized white shirt and white shorts as well. He seemed to ignore Shizuo's presence, as well as ignoring Celty when she stepped into the room. He ruffled his hair and stood up. Shizuo watched his progress suspiciously, wondering what was going on.

Finally, the kid turned to him. He studied Shizuo for what seemed like forever, and actually creeped Shizuo out a bit.

"What?" He said finally. "What the hell are you starin' at, kid?"

"… You're not Delic. Or Tsugaru, or Tsukishima. So who are you? I haven't seen you before. Where are they? What did you do with the others?" Shizuo had never seen a kid act so serious, or have such a murderous look on his face before.

Celty began tapping away at her phone while Shizuo tried to find the words to explain that he didn't know any of the people this kid was talking about. The Izaya look-alike turned to Celty, however, when she showed her phone to him. Shizuo read it over his shoulder.

_We don't know any of the people you're talking about. They were moved out of this building before we got here. My name is Celty, and this is Shizuo. Do you have a name?_

The boy looked from the phone to it's holder for a moment before answering.

"My name is Hibiya. But that's Prince Hibiya to you." Hibiya glared at Celty, as if daring her to contradict what he'd said. "And I suppose it's nice to meet you. Where did they all go?"

"We don't know, kid. We were hoping you could tell us." Shizuo growled.

Hibiya shook his head wordlessly. " I have no idea where they could have gone. But why would they leave me here?" He said the second sentence under his breath, as if he really didn't mean to say it in the first place.

Shizuo decided to pretend like he hadn't heard. Instead, he clapped a hand to Hibiya's shoulder and steered him out of the room. He had a feeling the cops were going to show up soon, and he knew that no one here was going to like what happened after that.

So, with some resistance from Hibiya (which was ignored) they all somehow got settled on Celty's bike. Celty drove, Hibiya sat behind her, and Shizuo behind him. Hibiya did not appreciate the seating arrangement and complained about it until Celty shut him up by accelerating the bike. Hibiya then saw why it was necessary for him to be in the center. There weren't any seatbelts, after all.

"Where should we take him?" Shizuo shouted over the roar of the wind.

Celty only shook her head and the bike went faster. Hibiya clung to Celty, his eyes shut tightly against the world. SHizuo pretended not to notice. He'd never seen that expression before. At least, not on Izaya's face. And while he knew that this kid obviously wasn't Izaya, he still _looked _like Izaya. Which was beyond weird, but Shizuo was getting used to it.

They entered the parking garage of Celty and Shinra's building, zooming right into the open elevator before coming to a sudden and complete stop. Hibiya slowly got off the bike, feeling queasy. He was glad when the smoky helmet around his head disappeared. It had been making him feel a little claustrophobic.

They took the elevator all the way up, Celty now the only one who remained on the bike. When the doors dinged open, Shizuo and Celty bother got out. Hibiya followed, although he was much more hesitant than his two companions. He hung back around the corner, watching Shizuo's and CElty's progress into the house. He was scared. Not that he'd ever admit it.

All of his friends, everything and everyone he knew were gone. And now he'd practically been kidnapped and transported to a brand new place. With people he didn't know. He could always put on a brave front, like he was supposed to, but how long could he keep that up?

And if they weren't here, where was everyone else? He wanted to be back with his friends. Even if some of them were a little nuts. Psyche, for example. Or Roppi.

"Kid, come on! Shinra wants to take a look at you." Shizuo called.

Reluctantly, Hibiya came out of his hiding place with a pout on his face. Not that he would ever actually call it a pout. He would call it a scowl. Because royalty does _not _pout. They scowl. Ergo, scowling.

He entered the living room, revealing himself to Celty and Shizuo, and a third man wearing a long white coat. Hibiya knew that coat. Well, not that coat specifically, but there had been many like it. He was so distracted by this man's clothes that the fact that Celty had taken off her helmet and had no head completely escaped him.

"Hey, I'm Shinra. Let me take a look at you." He seemed like a nice enough person, Hibiya thought suspiciously.

Hibiya hesitantly sat down at the couch indicated, watching SHinra's every move. He wondered what was so special about him to be looked at in the way Shinra was looking at him. It was creepy, as if he was a specimen on an examination table.

"I've never seen a perfect clone before. This is amazing!" Hibiya forced himself to sit still as his pulse and blood pressure were taken. He'd already been through this a dozen times at the facility- he just wanted to find his friends.

Shizuo's phone rang. He began talking on it with an annoyed air, and Hibiya only caught snippets of the conversation. Finally, Shinra was done collecting data, and Shizuo hung up the phone.

"Izaya says the other clones broke out of the van that was transporting them and are on the run. He says we should bring the kid to him and then look for the others."

Before he knew it, Hibiya was back on the bike, squished between Celty and Shizuo, heading to the business district. He wondered how they thought of him, being a clone. Did it really matter? And since when did he care what other people thought, anyways? Especially strangers.

They brought him to the office of a man who Hibiya felt was probably a total dick. Shizuo stayed outside.

"Ahhh, so this is one of my little mini-mes. Did they give you a name or a number? Not that it matters to me, because soon enough I'll be rid of you." Izaya ended with a sly lilt to his voice.

Hibiya's eyes narrowed, and he sized the other up. He'd been filled in on his identity on the ride up on the elevator, and of the fact that his man was his DNA-doner. So to speak.

"I am Prince Hibiya." He sniffed finally.

"Prince?" Izaya began to laugh.

"Don't patronize me." Hibiya took a seat on Izaya's office couch, crossing his arms over his chest. "I am going to be king of all humanity. In fact, I kind of already am."

Izaya stopped laughing, deciding to grin instead. He sat down across from the child on the other couch. Celty watched them watch each other for a long moment and was wondering if she should say something or leave until Izaya opened his mouth.

"I'd say we have a lot more in common than just looks." Izaya grinned.

"Perhaps." Hibiya hadn't missed the look in Izaya's eye, and he was intrigued by it.

Shizuo stepped into the room, clearly annoyed.

"What the hell is taking so long? They'll be gone by the time we get there!"

Hibiya, annoyed with the way his night was going, bit his own tongue hard enough to make his eyes water and tears pour down his cheeks. Hibiya knelt on the couch, turning around so Shizuo could see him. He sniffed and made his shoulders tremble as if he were crying. He blushed with shame- he couldn't believe he was reduced to this.

"Sh-Shizuo-sama, h-how could you?" He sobbed, looking down at his fingers curled around the cushions of the couch.

"How could I what?" Shizuo's angry face went slack. He hadn't even done anything, much less something to make the kid _cry_.

"For all I know, you're the one who- who took my friends. How am I supposed to believe you?"

Shizuo was at a loss. He rubbed the back of his head, unsure of what to do. He _wasn't_ the one who'd taken Hibiya's friends, obviously, but the kid was _crying_, and it looked almost like a younger (and possibly more innocent) Izaya was the one crying. The actual Izaya, however, was sitting back with his fingers threaded together and a smirk on his face. Shizuo really needed a smoke.

"I'm sorry, kid. Ya happy now?" He grumbled.

"Yep." Hibiya brushed away his tears, now all sly grin and pleased demeanor.

"What the- you played me!" Shizuo's hands itched for something to throw, and Hibiya darted to Izaya's side, his fingers flitting over the other's shoulders as if prepared to shove Izaya in front of him should Shizuo decide to attack.

"I'll claim child abuse." He taunted, unable to help himself. Shizuo was so much easier to rile up than anyone Hibiya had ever known. Usually it was Hibiya himself getting riled up. This was, therefore, a refreshing change.

Shizuo stormed out of the room, dragging poor Celty along. Once he was sure they were gone, Hibiya sat back down in his original seat and scoffed at himself.

"That was humiliating. Perhaps tonight really is getting to me." He mumbled.

"That was absolutely marvelous! I've never seen Shizuo act like that! Oh, stop pouting, that was great! Izaya chuckled, leaning back on the couch and crossing one leg over the other.

"I don't pout. I scowl." Hibiya's pout became more pronounced.

"If that's a scowl, I'd like to see you angry." He snored sarcastically before leaning forward in his seat. "How about this- you teach me how to make Shizu-chan melt into a puddle of his own emotions, and I'll teach you how to scowl."

Hibiya leaned forward as well, his pout becoming a smirk.

"Five yen every time one of us gets it wrong?"

"Sure, why not?" Izaya asked rhetorically.

"Deal."

* * *

><p>Blame my friend, who talked me into RPing as Hibiya on tumblr. (If any of you would like to check it out, it's .com, warning for the HibiyaDelic-ness that is extremely explicit sometimes.) XD It was definetly one of the best desicions I've ever made.

So... Yes. ENJOY. X3


	2. Day and Night two

Hibiya awoke on Izaya's couch the next morning feeling like he'd gotten no sleep at all. Izaya wasn't around, so Hibiya just helped himself to the coffee machine. He sat back on the couch, carefully sipping his hot drink as he waited for someone to come by.

In the meantime, Hibiya wondered where the others were. If they'd escaped, did that mean they were okay? More importantly, was _Delic_ okay?

Delic was one of Shizuo's clones. He was suave, smooth, and charming. He had been created just before Hibiya and looked after the youngest clone. He'd never left Hibiya out of anything when they were allowed free time (provided, of course, that Hibiya actually asked to be involved), and often allowed Hibiya to come to him for comfort when it became too much. The scientists could care less about the clones, so long as they did what they were told. And even though Hibiya played it off like he could care less about Delic, it was really quite the opposite. If Hibiya had ever loved anyone, it was Delic, and he was very attached to the fun-loving playboy.

He knew Delic cared for him, too (on some level, certainly), and he wondered if Delic was just as desperate to find Hibiya as he was becoming to find Delic. Hell, Hibiya would be glad to see anyone right now. Surely they would have stayed together in a group? Psyche probably would have stayed with Delic- they were the best of friends.

Hibiya was broken out of his thoughts when there came a knock on the door. He carefully sat down his coffee mug (which he suspected of actually being Izaya's) on the coffee table and went to go answer the door.

When he opened it, there was a group of college age kids standing there. Three of them boys and one a girl.

"Can I help you with something?" Hibiya asked grumpily. Thoughts of being without Delic had put him in a bad mood.

"We were told there would be an Izaya look-alike here. We're supposed to bring you with us and look after you today." The tallest boy stated. He was wearing a hat over his hair and for some reason reminded Hibiya of a dog. "I'm Kyohei, and this is Erika-" He pointed to the girl. "-Walker-" The boy who had squinted eyes. "-and Saburo."

"…" Hibiya sighed. "Hibiya." He stepped out and shut the door behind him.

"That's not what you're wearing is, it?" Erika asked.

"I don't own any other clothes, so yes." Hibiya snarled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He doesn't even have any shoes." Walker observed. They didn't seem to be affected by his brusque-ness.

Hibiya wondered viciously how he could see with such squinty eyes, and didn't deign to dignify that with an answer. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. Properly this time. He went ignored, however.

"Well, you can't just stay dressed like that, now can you?" Erika piped up.

Which is how Hibiya found himself in a cosplay emporium being forced into several different costumes. He didn't know what was going on- he'd tried on so many items already…

"How about this?" Walker said.

Hibiya looked up from his hands and saw that the teen was holding up a black, yellow, and white cosplay.

"You did say you were a prince, after all." Walker's eyebrows went up as Hibiya snatched the clothes from him and went to put them on. He wondered when he'd mentioned that he was a prince.

There were black leggings, white boots with odd white stripe attachments that went up the leg, a black long-sleeved shirt, a white sleeveless tunic, white gloves, and a yellow cloak. Hibiya had put everything on and was just unfolding the cloak when something tumbled out. He knelt down and picked it up. A yellow paper crown. Cardboard, with plastic to hold it in place. Hibiya brushed his hair out of his face, looking at himself in the mirror. Yes, he did look truly regal. He stood a little straighter, his eyes approving.

He walked out of the dressing room, hands curled into fists. He felt pretty powerful. Not some scrawny little kid anymore. He did know Karate, but he'd never looked or felt like it. And now, although he felt foolish admitting it to himself, he felt like he could do some serious damage. If he really wanted to get his hands dirty like that, which he didn't.

"Oh, it's perfect!" Erika gushed. "Dotachin, come look!"

"Don't call me that." Nontheless, Kyohei walked over anyways. "It does look good on you, shortstack."

"_Don't_." Hibiya's eyes narrowed.

The cosplay was purchased, and the group made their way out of the shop. Hibiya looked up at the glaring sun, remarking mentally how hot it was. He wanted to ask why they would purchase something for him when he had nothing to give in return, but he decided that maybe it was best not to know.

He followed the others into the van, sitting in the very back and leaning his head against the window. Ikebukero was a nice enough town, but he couldn't help but feel lost without those he'd grown up with. And really, who could blame him?

Hibiya closed his eyes. These people just plain exhausted him. Granted, they were just under Psyche's level of nuts, so he probably could have taken them on a good day. And on the other hand, there were more than just one of them.

Delic hummed to himself, adjusting his white suit jacket. They'd all gotten separated when they escaped, but somehow he'd managed to stay with Psyche. Whom had just gotten back with matching outfits for the both of them. How he'd gotten them, Delic had no idea. Psyche wasn't telling, either, so he just gave up asking.

He wanted to find the others and then go find Hibiya. The little prince had never even made it into the van. Then again, they'd all been drugged at the time, so maybe Delic had missed him.

Until then, Delic pulled out a cigarette and lit it, blowing out a ring of smoke. Yep, still got it.

"Hey, look at that." Psyche's voice got his attention.

The black-haired man was pointing to a strange van that was crossing the intersection. One door had a manga Lolita on it. Then again, maybe the other door did, too- there wasn't really much of a way of telling. Delic gave a small noise of interest, watching the vehicle go by. It was a block away, so he couldn't really tell what kind of a person would drive such a thing.

"You've got really good eyes if you can see that, Psyche." Delic commented.

"I know." Psyche grinned, putting his hands in his pockets.

Delic rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Let's go find everyone else, alright?" Delic suggested. It had only been a day, but those kids with yellow scarves were looking pretty suspicious and there was strength in numbers.

Even though Delic could totally kick their asses by himself if he really wanted to.

Psyche just nodded with a happy grin, and off they went.

Hibiya ate lunch with the group at Russia Sushi. He decided that if he liked sushi, he definitely didn't like it from this place. But he choked it down anyways- Simon, as he learned, was almost as scary as Shizuo.

Still, all went well in the end, and Hibiya was dropped back at Izaya's office in the evening. He entered without the entourage- they appeared to fear entering the place. The office was just as empty as he had left it, and it appeared as if no one had been there since he'd left. So Hibiya took care of the mug he'd abandoned and decided to distract himself by reading a book. Izaya had plenty of them- surely he wouldn't mind if Hibiya borrowed only one.

Hibiya browsed the shelves, and when he didn't find anything on the first floor, he went up the stairs to the second. It was here that he discovered one lonely shelf in the back that held dusty books that Hibiya suspected hadn't been picked up in a long time. And they were all fairytales.

Picking one at random, Hibiya tried not to sneeze as he dusted it off and took it back to the couch with him. He sat down so that he could see the rest of the room (namely if anyone came through the door) and opened the book.

Sleeping Beauty. Hibiya found himself smiling fondly- western tales had always seemed better than the ones he knew. They were meant to terrify children into behaving, and Hibiya was pretty sure they worked. In the facility, they were educated very well, most of them being extremely intelligent due to the experimentations.

As he got deeper into the book, he drew his legs up to sit Indian style. He didn't notice when his left leg fell asleep, instead flipping a page and continuing on.

It was getting dark and Hibiya was getting hungry and nearing the end of his book when the doors finally exploded inwards with the force behind them. Hibiya didn't look up.

"You can't keep him here!" Came Shizuo's voice.

"Why not, he's my clone." Izaya actually sounded a little miffed.

"He's just a kid, Izaya!"

"So, what difference does that make?"

"You two fight like an old married couple." Hibiya interjected in a monotonous voice.

"We do not!" Shizuo snarled at him.

"Well. I'm Izaya's clone, correct?" Hibiya closed the book and looked up at the both of them with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Yes." Izaya looked puzzled, but curious as to where this was going.

"Then you're kind of like a dad, as we are technically biologically related." Hibiya found himself smirking. He already had the upper hand here.

"Okay." Izaya nodded after a moment of thinking this over. He could argue that actually they were technically the same person, but Shizuo looked either like he might be sick or like he might burst with frustration, and that was a fairly amusing sight to see.

"And no matter what either of you say, you fight like an old married couple." Izaya looked vaguely annoyed again. "And since you're dad-" Hibiya pointed to Izaya. "-That makes you-" His finger redirected to Shizuo. "Mom."

Shizuo stood there for a moment just staring at Hibiya and mouthing wordlessly. Izaya looked like he wasn't sure what to make of the little Prince's declaration, whether he should get upset or start laughing. Receiving no answer, Hibiya tucked his book under his arm and made to stand up.

And promptly fell flat on his face.

Hibiya felt the pain only distantly, mostly overtaken by shock. His leg screamed with pins and needles, and he easily pieced together what had happened. Shizuo had momentarily forgotten that he was supposed to be mad at Hibiya and Izaya and was desperately trying to stifle laughter. Izaya, on the other hand, was laughing outright.

Prepared for the pain this time, Hibiya tried to get up again, pointedly ignoring the both of them and trying to gather together his last dregs of dignity. He didn't notice Shizuo had moved until he felt someone take his elbow and hoist him up. Hibiya adjusted his crown and sniffed, drawing his cloak closer around himself.

"You alright, kid?" He asked, giving in to his slight weakness for children.

"I'm fine, _mom_." Hibiya started brusquely, but ended in a taunting smirk.

Surprisingly, Shizuo did not rise to the bait. Instead, he helped dust Hibiya off and sent him up the stairs to go and replace the book. The young prince could hear Shizuo and Izaya talking in hushed voices (and a few hissed comments) but he couldn't actually make out anything that was being said. He wondered if he was going to get it later for calling Shizuo 'mom'. He didn't know the man that well, but he obviously wasn't one to stay calm. Especially around Izaya.

He waited for a few moments before going to the top of the stairs and looking down at the two of them. Izaya looked surprised as hell- absolutely shocked. Possibly because Shizuo had grabbed the front of his shirt and was kissing him with a great look of concentration. Hibiya's hand tightened on the banister. He wished Delic were here. He made a face for a moment before, becoming a mask of indifference yet again.

"Please don't do the nasty in here. There is a child present." He interrupted.

The two men jumped apart as if they'd been burned. For a moment Shizuo actually looked ashamed. Hibiya raised his eyebrows in surprise. He nearly felt guilty for interrupting like he had. Shizuo cleared his throat.

"C'mon, kid. Shinra wants you back at his place, and I've gotta get back to Tom."

Hibiya advanced wordlessly. As he passed Izaya, the raven took Izaya's hand and squeezed briefly, looking up at the other for a moment before letting go and passing Shizuo into the hallway.

There was no masked rider waiting for them. Shizuo eventually exited and passed Hibiya to press the elevator button. There was a tense silence as they rode the machine down to the ground floor. Hibiya walked a little behind Shizuo as they left the building, watching his body language and gauging whether or not it was safe to speak.

They were about halfway down the block before Hibiya finally decided to go for it. Delic was always saying 'what the hell', wasn't he?

"Mom…?" Hibiya started. Shizuo's shoulders tensed, but he kept speaking anyways. "Why are we walking?"

"I'm not your mother." Shizuo snarled, walking a little faster.

Hibiya, having the body of a thirteen year old, jogged to keep up. He was careful to keep just behind Shizuo, just in case seeing Izaya's face would set the other off. Hibiya knew that the fact he shared Izaya's face affected Shizuo- that much was already clear.

"You're avoiding the question." Hibiya said quietly.

"I don't have a car, and Celty isn't here right now." Shizuo growled.

"Oh."

They walked on in silence for a long while. The street lamps came on, and they were still weaving in and out of a crowd. Eventually they got to the residential district, and the streets became much emptier. Hibiya stopped walking, looking down at his boots.

What was he even doing here? He obviously wasn't wanted. The first thing out of Izaya's mouth had been that he'd get rid of him soon. And Shizuo obviously didn't want to be around him. And maybe that was just the sort of people they were, but it hurt. It hurt so much more than Hibiya would ever admit. He was smart, sure, but he couldn't wrap his head around this. Were the only people who wanted him those who were forced to be around him, forced to get to know him? Even if their care was genuine, would the outside world ever accept him?

"Kid- why'd you stop walking? We have places to go, you know!" Shizuo turned around, a few steps ahead of Hibiya because he hadn't realized the kid had stopped walking for a moment.

"Do you really not want me to call you mom?" Hibiya asked, the light of the street lamp causing his hair to shadow his eyes.

"NO, I DON'T. I'M NOT YOUR MOTHER. AND IF YOU SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU SAW, I'LL-"

"Hibiya-kun!" A man had turned the corner behind Shizuo and had seen Hibiya. He began running towards the Prince, and as he ran past, Shizuo realized it had to be another clone.

Because it looked exactly like him.

"Hibiya-kun, if I might ask, what's wrong?" Hibiya didn't look up at the man, only reached out a hand and fisted it in his jacket. "Uh- Hibiya-kun?"

"Tsukishima." Hibiya mumbled. "I'm… pleased you're okay."

"Of course I'm okay. Everyone else is alright, too." Tsukishima's voice became softer, gentler. "Though I seem to have gotten separated- I'm terrible with directions." He laughed nervously and adjusted the glasses on his face.

Shizuo took note that he always seemed to have a light blush on his cheeks, and was obviously much more kind than the original. He cleared his throat to get the other's attention.

"Who the hell are you?" Shizuo asked.

"Oh, forgive me." The man bowed deeply, his glasses nearly slipping off his nose. "My name is Tsukishima, but most people just call me Tsuki." He had a soft voice. "You must be Shizuo."

Tsukishima wore black jeans and a white shirt, a black jacket over it and a white scarf. He had a brown satchel thrown over his shoulder like a messenger bag. And something was _moving_ in there.

"Arf!" A little gray dog poked it's head out of Tsuki's bag.

Well, it wasn't entirely gray. It had little brown-blue dapples all over its coat, and large floppy ears. Hibiya was obviously immediately taken with the little dog, lifting it out of Tsuki's bag and distracted from his despair by the little pink tongue bathing his face with attention.

"Oh, that little guy." Tsukishima rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I'd gotten so lost I forgot he was there. He was in a 'free to good home' box- I couldn't just leave him."

"Mom, can I keep him?" Hibiya asked, not looking away from the puppy.

"No. And I am _not_ your mom." Shizuo snarled. "I hate dogs. You're coming with us."

"Who, me?" Tsukishima pointed at himself, surprised. "Alright."

Surprised that Tsukishima had agreed, Shizuo just grunted and turned around to keep going.

"We still have a long way to go, so hurry up."

"Why don't we just call a cab?" Tsukishima suggested.

"Fine, call a damn cab!" Shizuo threw up his hands in frustration and lit another cigarette.

So the cab was called, Hibiya did nothing to contribute to the conversation other than announcing that the dog was now named Arthur ("WE ARE NOT KEEPING THE DAMN DOG!"Shizuo's protest fell on deaf ears), and Shizuo learned that for being a wimp, Tsukishima was actually an alright sort of guy. He was good at coming up with poetry off the top of his head. It was really kind of interesting, if Shizuo was to admit it.

They all piled into the cab, Shizuo at the far door, Tsukishima next to him, and Hibiya sliding in in the last seat. Arthur sat on Hibiya's lap, quite content to just wag his tail and lick the boy's face. Shizuo gave the cab driver the address and off they went.

It only took ten minutes, and Hibiya was slumped against Tsukishima and half curled on the seat sleeping like a baby, Arthur curled asleep in his lap. Tsukishima smiled at Hibiya fondly for a moment.

"I need him to get rid of that damn dog. And I wish he'd quit calling me mom, too." Shizuo growled to himself.

"He called you mom?" Tsuki asked hesitantly.

"Uh- yeah, why?" Shizuo looked over at Tsuki, who looked away, back at Hibiya.

"He doesn't get all that attached to people. If he called you mom, he must really look up to you. Or like you, whichever." Tsukishima shrugged the shoulder Hibiya wasn't leaning on. "I can't believe he hasn't asked me about Delic yet."

"Delic?" Shizuo asked suspiciously.

"Another of your clones. He was always with Hibiya-kun. He's a real playboy, and he two-times a lot, but Hibiya doesn't hold it against him." Tsukishima pet Arthur softly, and the pup only rolled over in sleep. "It's sweet of him, really. Even though he acts like a jerk to everyone."

Shizuo leaned forward in his seat so he could see the sleeping Hibiya. He kind of saw the kid in a new light- he looked up to Shizuo? That was interesting. They'd only known each other for going on two days. How could one form a bond like that in such a short time? It was strange, but he found that if he really scrutinized it, he didn't actually mind.

"Hn." He leaned back in his seat again and looked out at the passing town, thinking about what was going on quietly instead.

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><p>And chapter 2. XD I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. (:<p>

Thank you all for reading! X3


	3. Two Weeks

Fast forward two weeks.

"Mom, have you seen my phone?" Hibiya skidded into Shizuo's apartment's kitchen, breathing hard and still trying to get his boots on.

"Slow down, where are you going?" Shizuo turned around, sipping his coffee mug quietly. "It's only seven in the morning. Don't you think it's a little early to be up?"

"I'm going with Tsukishima to find Delic." Hibiya watched as Shizuo took a bagel from the counter and tossed it at him. Hibiya caught it, but only just barely, and waited impatiently for an answer. "Mom, my phone?"

"I haven't seen it. It's not my phone, after all. Keep better track of your stuff!" But Hibiya was already gone, out the door and down the stairs of the apartment building, Arthur at his heels, a 'FOUND IT' thrown over his shoulder.

Shizuo sighed and sipped at his coffee again, looking out of the kitchen window at the morning. He had to get to work soon.

These past two weeks had been… Eventful, to say the least. Shizuo had reluctantly given a half-assed apology to Hibiya (which had been accepted), allowed him to keep the dog (so long as it stayed away from Shizuo), and given the kid a phone so he didn't have to be watching him all the time. Hibiya had shot up about a foot, his body filling out to be more of a teenager's body rather than a child's. Shinra estimated him at about fifteen now. Clones apparently aged more quickly than normal people, but judging by Tsukishima's unaffected appearance, there was a point where they just stopped aging. Hibiya hadn't hit this yet.

Arthur was the ever-faithful mutt. Hibiya had done something to that dog, Shizuo would swear the fear of God was put into it, as it did whatever Hibiya said regardless of what it was. A long sentence or a terse word, Hibiya had that dog trained to everything. And it was only a pup.

I digress.

At the start of the first week, Shizuo finally couldn't hold the kid back anymore and was forced to let him take Tsukishima out looking for all the rest of the clones. It was probably better that Tsukishima went with Hibiya, because as they figured out by sending Tsuki to the grocery store, the man had a terrible sense of direction that there was no remedying.

He had things to do. Debts to collect. Pouring the rest of his coffee down the drain, Shizuo left his apartment and began to walk down the street, pushing his shades up his nose. Looking up, he could see the corner of a yellow cape disappearing around the building at the end of the block. He didn't realize that he was smiling until Tom asked him what had put him in such a good mood.

oooOOOooo

Tsukishima had changed into a less hastily-drawn-together wardrobe, instead wearing black slacks and a white collared shirt with a black button down vest. Hibiya had also managed to find him a pair of glasses that didn't slip down his nose every chance they got. Now Hibiya was the only reason people would stare, not that he actually cared or anything. The commoners could look upon him all they wanted. But if anyone dared approach him, they were going to get a boot to the face.

Because that was what Hibiya did these days.

Of course, Tsuki did try to keep him under control by distracting him from any prospective face-kicking. Arthur just trotted behind the both of them, his bright pink tongue lolling out and his tail wagging lazily. His tags jangled loudly against his chest as he walked, letting Hibiya know where he was without the prince having to look.

For a while it was just a lot of walking around and scrutinizing anyone with blond hair. They weren't getting very far in the short amount of time. Really they just tried looking for Shizuo or Izaya, because anyone who looked like them was definitely a clone and they could sort out who was who later.

Speaking of those two, things had become a little rocky. Where usually Izaya could be found wandering the streets looking for Shizuo in order to piss him off just by spotting the 'flea', instead it appeared that he was avoiding the blonde and just about anyone who was friends with him. In fact, Hibiya had been with Shizuo on one such occasion. Izaya had seen Shizuo, turned around, and bolted. No taunt, no jibe, just turned tail and run.

Hibiya thought it odd, but what could he say about it? It wasn't his business, after all. So he kept quiet. But if they continued to dance around each other like this, he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to stay out of it. It was aggravating just watching the both of them.

Digressing.

"If you were Delic and Psyche, where would you go in a city such as this?" Hibiya asked Tsuki, pale yellow eyes surveying the crowd.

"I'm not sure, actually." The poet answered, using his superior height to see over people's heads.

Hibiya sighed deeply and stood on a nearby bench to be able to see over the crowd. Tsukishima followed him, sticking close just in case. The last thing they needed to happen was for Tsukishima to get lost.

"There!" Tsukishima rose a hand to point into the crowd, the other coming up to adjust his glasses. "There, with the blue and white kimono. No, no, over by the shop, just there. Is that Tsugaru-san?"

Hibiya hopped off of the bench, and taking Tsukishima's hand, began to race through the crowd.

"How can you tell?" He threw over his shoulder, trying to get a glimpse of the blue kimono that Tsukishima had talked about.

"The expression on his face was as calm as the surface of glass." Tsuki answered. "I would know it anywhere."

"Of course you would." Hibiya huffed and elbowed someone in the ribs without apologizing before hurrying on.

The two (three, if you count the happily barking Arthur) finally made it through the crowd and were presented with a storefront. Sure enough, Tsugaru stood before the both of them, a broom in one hand and a pipe in the other.

Tsugaru was another of Shizuo's clones, and was a very calm person. Hibiya suspected he was smoking marijuana or something, but he had no proof. He, too, was nicer and more kind than his original. He kind of had this thing for Psyche, so Hibiya was relieved that they had found him. If anyone was going to help him actively look for Delic, it was Tsugaru. If only because Psyche was probably wherever Delic was.

"Oh, hello you two." Tsugaru nodded his head, leaning on his broom for support and smoking on his pipe while he surveyed them.

"It's nice to see you, Tsugaru-san." Tsukishima bowed.

Hibiya only nodded stiffly, one hand on Arthur's head as the dog pulled even with them finally.

"You wouldn't happen to have seen Psyche and Delic, would you?" He asked, tensing as he waited for an answer.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't." Tsugaru shook his head. "If they'd come past, I definitely would have remembered."

"Right." Hibiya's shoulders slumped for a moment before he resumed his usual regal stance. Back to square one, basically.

"Excuse me, but, do you work here now, Tsugaru-san?" Tsukishima asked, looking around what he could see of the inside of the shop, as the door was open behind Tsugaru.

"Yes." Tsugaru nodded. "They're also allowing me a place to stay above the shop. It's very kind of them." He looked over his shoulder and waved presumably at someone standing behind the counter of the shop.

It was a grocery, it seemed, so it was a little busy. With the usual daytime crowd outside, it would be hard not to be. Busy, that is. Hibiya turned and glanced over the people again, a sigh escaping from his lips. They were all happy people, all going about their day as was normal for them. Hibiya wondered if it was normal for everyone else to have clones of themselves. He knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that it probably wasn't. Yet he could not help but wonder what the world would be like if everyone had at least one clone.

Hibiya heard a very familiar laugh somewhere to his left. He spun around faster than he'd originally thought possible for the human body. Blond hair, pink shades, white suit. He wore different clothes, but it was definitely Delic. Hibiya smirked, because really, what were the chances? But then Delic began to disappear into the crowd, and Hibiya realized that if he didn't follow, he was going to lose sight.

He'd never run so fast in his life.

But the crowd hindered Hibiya's progress, and he could hear Tsugaru and Tsukishima calling after him. Not that he cared- Delic was _right there_, for God's sake!

He couldn't see Delic's white suit anymore, but he kept running. If he could just spot the man one more time, he could catch up. He knew he could!

And yet here he was, panting for breath in the middle of the sidewalk, looking around in vain for someone who was no longer there. Arthur panted, circling his master happily. To him, they'd just had a great run. Hibiya was so frustrated with himself. This was pathetic. Somehow, he felt like it was his fault that Delic wasn't here right now. He bent over, hands on his knees, trying not to do something irrational in his aggravation.

"Hibiya-kun, don't just run off like that!" Tsugaru panted, drawing up to him.

"It's d-dangerous!" Tsukishima added, one hand clinging to the back of Tsugaru's kimono. He'd almost tripped on the way to catch up because of it, but it was better than the alternative of getting lost.

Hibiya glanced up at them from underneath his mop of black hair, noting that Tsugaru had grabbed Tsukishima's wrist so that the other didn't wander away. It was a little extreme, but hey. You could never really tell what was going to happen. He looked back down at the ground, shaking his head and standing up straight. He had to be refined, at least in public. He cleared his throat, straightening his clothes before answering.

"My apologies. It won't happen again." Lying was one of Hibiya's strong suits. Probably not one of his best habits, but he was good at it.

Because yes, it certainly would happen again. Hibiya would run off whenever he damn well pleased, thank you very much.

In the end, Hibiya trudged to Izaya's office (because Izaya could care less where he crashed, and even if he did Hibiya usually just stayed anyways) with Tsukishima in tow. He had a scowl on his face, which was of course his usual expression in his short life.

"H-Hibiya-kun, where are we going?" Tsukishima asked this many times as Hibiya pulled him along. Not that Hibiya actually gave an answer until it got annoying.

"Dad's place." He growled. It was the first place that came to mind.

"Wha-? Why? He doesn't really appear to… um… Care." Tsuki said this more quietly than he had before.

"That's why we're going, Tsukishima." Hibiya sighed in an almost patronizing way.

Tsuki didn't have any more time to protest because they had already arrived at Izaya's office. Up in the elevator they went in tense silence. Hibiya obviously had something on his mind, but Tsuki didn't want to be rude by prying. So instead there came an awkward silence until the very moment that the two walked through the doors. Arthur hid behind Hibiya's legs. He feared Izaya, and usually tried to avoid him at all costs. But this time his master was walking right into the lion's den, and Arthur was obliged to follow him.

"Dad? Have you heard anything about any of the others?" Hibiya called out.

But he didn't receive a reply. Izaya wasn't there. Hibiya pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course. Right when he needed the man, he wasn't anywhere to be found. Why did this stuff happen to him? Sighing, he flopped down rather ungracefully onto Izaya's couch.

"U-Um, Hibiya-kun, what exactly are you doing, if I might ask? Dad doesn't seem to be here…" Tsuki looked around for a moment, holding the strap of his messenger bag and playing with the frayed ends of his scarf anxiously. Tsukishima had also taken to calling Shizuo and Izaya 'mom' and 'dad', respectively.

"I am going to sit here. I am going to pout, like a child, because I'm allowed to because I am a child. And then I am going to go home, make some tea, and go to bed."

Which was exactly what happened. Izaya didn't come back for the entire four hours that Hibiya waited. Nor did Tsuki leave, too scared of getting lost to go out on his own. Hibiya led Tsukishima back to Shizuo's place, trying not to appear as disappointed and frustrated as he felt. He thought it would be easier than this. But that was a child's view, a naïve view. Ikebukuro was a big city. Plenty of room for a few people to be scattered throughout.

Hibiya had never been more frustrated in his life.

* * *

><p>Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. ;w; I know it's been a long time coming and I'm so so so so so sorry I haven't uploaded faster. But now it's here, so... Don't kill me? 8D?<p>

And I want to send special thanks to 91kaycee who reviewed at exactly the right time to make me do this. ;w;

And I apologize for Tsuki. *deepbow* I started this story before I really knew what I wanted the alternates to be like, and reading many other fanfics has a lot of people making him stutter a lot. My excuse is that he's going through shell-shock and won't be nervous until he meets up with Roppi again. 8D

Also, the dog is supposed to take the place of Hibiya's horse, something I hadn't addressed yet. I know a lot of people name the horse Alfred, but my innerHibi is screaming that that is a stupid-ass name for a horse considering he already has a butler. Therefore, Arthur. Sounds refined. Fuck yeah.


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